TWO passengers were injured as a bus careered into a lamp-post after the driver was taken ill at the wheel.

Shoppers in Pershore Road, Kings Norton, looked on in horror as the Number 11 service swerved into a lamp-post, which then smashed on to a bus shelter.

Two passengers, an elderly woman and man in his 40s, were thrown to the floor by the force of the smash.

The pensioner was taken to the city’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital with severe leg injuries while the man was treated for cuts, West Midlands Fire Service said.

Passers-by who rushed to the aid of the victims said the driver, believed to be in his 50s, lost control at the wheel after suffering a suspected heart attack at 3.05pm yesterday.

One woman shopper, who was browsing in a charity shop, comforted the driver for an hour as he drifted in and out of consciousness and was trapped in his cab.

Amanda Tucker, the owner of hair salon Streaks Ahead, in Pershore Road, said she heard a loud bang when the crash happened in front of her shop.

“There was an almighty bang and I saw the lamp-post smash across the bus stop in front of a Co-op store,” said Mrs Tucker.

“Luckily no-one was standing there.

“We went out to help and the bus driver was still alive and able to move.

“It was believed he had a suspected heart attack at the wheel. It was a terrible crash.”

Police cordoned off the area and closed the road for nearly two hours to clear debris.

Fire, police and ambulance crews worked to treat the injured and make the busy road safe again.

Incident Commander Matt Payne, of Northfield Fire Station, said: “The driver and two passengers had serious injuries and the lamp-post was hanging overhead with live cables with shoppers walking around, so it was a dangerous situation.

“We had to use hydraulic rescue equipment to ensure paramedics could reach the driver.”

A National Express West Midlands spokeswoman said: “A number 11 service was involved in a collision on the Pershore Road.